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Reddish Scops-owl Otus rufescens

JustificationThis forest-dependent species is listed as Near Threatened because its population is suspected to be in moderately rapid decline owing to the extensive loss of lowland forests from large areas of the Sundaic lowlands. It is not considered more threatened because it can use secondary habitats and occurs at higher elevations.

Distribution and populationOtus rufescens occurs in the Sundaic lowlands, from south peninsular Thailand, Sabah, Sarawak and Peninsular Malaysia, Singapore, Kalimantan, Sumatra (including Bangka Island) and Java, Indonesia and Brunei (BirdLife International 2001). It has also been reported from the Philippines, perhaps from islands offshore from Sabah. It seems to be generally rare throughout its range but is reported to be locally common in some areas. Overall, declines are assumed to be taking place owing to the extensive loss of forest in the region.

Population justificationThe global population size has not been quantified, but the species is described as rather rare (Konig et al. 1999).

Trend justificationForest destruction in the Sundaic lowlands of Indonesia has been extensive, and the situation is little different in Thailand and Malaysia. However, the species's ability to persist in secondary growth and at higher elevations, where forest destruction has been less severe, suggests that its decline has been moderately rapid; less rapid than for many lowland primary forest specialists.

EcologyIt occurs in primary and tall secondary forest, including logged forest and peat-swamp forest up to 1,000 m, but favours primary forest below 600 m. Nesting takes place in March-July.

ThreatsRates of forest loss in the Sundaic lowlands have been extremely rapid (Kalimantan lost nearly 25% of its evergreen forest during 1985-1997, and Sumatra lost almost 30% of its 1985 cover), because of a variety of factors, including the escalation of logging and land conversion, with deliberate targeting of all remaining stands of valuable timber including those inside protected areas, plus forest fires (particularly in 1997-1998).

Conservation Actions UnderwayCITES Appendix II. The species has been recorded from a number of protected areas throughout its range. Conservation Actions ProposedProtect areas of lowland forest within the species's range. Enforce restrictions on agricultural encroachment and logging within such protected areas. Research is required to assess the species's dependence on primary habitats, generate density estimates to inform a revised population estimate for the species and estimate population trends by calculating rates of forest loss within its range using satellite imagery and remote sensing techniques.

Recommended citation
BirdLife International (2015) Species factsheet: Otus rufescens. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 03/08/2015.
Recommended citation for factsheets for more than one species: BirdLife International (2015) IUCN Red List for birds. Downloaded from
http://www.birdlife.org on 03/08/2015.

This information is based upon, and updates, the information published in BirdLife International (2000)
Threatened birds of the world. Barcelona and Cambridge, UK: Lynx Edicions and BirdLife International, BirdLife International (2004)
Threatened birds of the world 2004 CD-ROM and BirdLife International (2008) Threatened birds of the world 2008 CD-ROM. These sources provide the information for species accounts for the birds on the IUCN Red List.

To provide new information to update this factsheet or to correct any errors, please email BirdLife